Environmental Enforcement: Civil and Criminal

Daniel Riesel, a senior partner of Sive, Paget & Riesel, P.C., has been involved in the practice of environmental law, general litigation and criminal defense since 1970. Previously, he served as the Chief of the Environmental Protection Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. Mr. Riesel chairs the annual ALI-ABA Environmental Litigation Course. Mr. Riesel’s extensive environmental and litigation practice has been recognized by several organizations: Chambers & Partners’ survey of environmental lawyers ranks him as one of the top tier environmental lawyers in New York and notes, “No end of praise is heaped on Daniel Riesel” and, further, “Creative, forceful and dynamic, he is seen as an excellent counselor and a strong litigator who is experienced in enforcement defense, white-collar crime and civil litigation including toxic torts, as well as rulemaking challenges.” Recently, several publications have referred to him as “Dean of the environmental bar.”

He is presently a member of the adjunct faculty at Columbia University Law School and was previously an adjunct professor at Cardozo School of Law from 1986-1992. Mr. Riesel has contributed to The National Law Journal and has authored such articles as "Criminal Prosecution and the Regulation of Hazardous Substances" and "Criminal Prosecution and the Defense of Environmental Wrongs." He received his LL.B. from Columbia University Law School in 1961 and his B.A. from Union College in 1958.